You understand what Herb Kohl is saying. The Milwaukee Bucks owner doesn't want a teardown. He says blowing up the roster isn't an option.

I'm not so sure the Bucks have any other option.

Kohl didn't mention the arena drive in his roster-specific comments to our Charles F. Gardner last week when he said he wanted to move forward with mostly the current players and new coach Larry Drew. But the elephant in the room is always going to be the new arena.

Implied was the notion that if the Bucks start over and lose 55 games in the process, an empty Bradley Center wouldn't do much to shepherd the project.

But I'm thinking fans who understand the NBA as it applies to small markets would understand and abide if only the Bucks would come out and say something like this:

"Look, we know the product hasn't been very good or interesting for a long time. We've treaded water long enough in the NBA's no-man's land of mediocrity to realize it's either getting us a so-so draft pick or one-and-done in the playoffs. We're going young and hungry and we promise to play as hard as any team in the league. Please bear with us while we go through this painful but necessary process to make you proud of this team again."

I'm pretty sure real fans would buy into that, especially in a city that values hard work and hustle much more than overpriced so-called stars, not to mention a boring team.

They would understand that is how San Antonio became a model franchise beginning in the mid-'90s. And how Indiana recently became relevant again. And how Memphis and Oklahoma City got good.

It is the small-market way. Start over and hope to hit the jackpot in the draft, which, by the way, is going to be killer next season.

In the Bucks' case, starting over would mean saying goodbye to Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. But so what? It's not like they're winning with them now.

Anyway, it's out of their hands with Ellis, who has a player option. If the two-year extension worth a total of $36 million (including the $11 million he is owed this season) the Bucks offered is not enough, he's free to try to find $12 million a year elsewhere.

The Bucks showed good faith with the offer, and now they are free to move on as well.

As for Jennings, if I were GM John Hammond, I'd encourage the point guard to accept an offer from the outside. And then they'd be rid of him. He's got talent, but he has not proven he can carry a team with poor shooting and the tendency to dribble out the shot clock.

You know what the Bucks fear with Jennings, that if they let him go, he might flourish elsewhere as Tobias Harris did after the J.J. Redick trade. But this is no time to waste time worrying about what-ifs. It's time to have a real plan for the here and now and stick to it.

And part of the plan would be to showcase the emerging talent already here. There is a lot to like about Larry Sanders and John Henson. Luc Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova and Ekpe Udoh are foundation pieces, or at least value pieces to move, because the foundation is not being razed with the house.

The Bucks have cap money to spend, so go out and get a veteran for a year or so as a stopgap. Draft two guards. And wait for the bountiful 2014 draft, where the next Chris Paul or Tony Parker might be waiting.